In the U.S., five men die every second.
During the time it takes you to take a deep breath, 50 men die. Or more.
They die from heart disease. From cancer. From accidents.
Most of those deaths are preventable. That means that every day men just like you have time stolen from them.
Don’t lose any of the time coming to you. Learn, right now, how to protect yourself from the top threats to your health and your life.
Stop Death in its Tracks
1. Heart Disease
Heart disease is by far and away the number one killer of men. Of all the men that die every year, 25% die from heart disease. And men are particularly at risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Of the deaths caused by sudden cardiac arrest, 89% are men.
The best way to protect yourself from a sudden cardiac arrest is to protect yourself from heart disease. And the best way to protect yourself from heart disease is to keep you blood pressure in the normal range, control your blood sugar and insulin, and keep your chronic inflammation levels low.
You can do all three by getting more exercise, eating fewer processed foods and fewer starchy carbohydrates, and by taking a regular vitamin C supplement.
2. Cancer
Cancer deaths among men run a close second to heart disease deaths. Cancer claims roughly 300,000 men’s lives each year. The leading types of fatal cancer among men are skin cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer.
When it comes to preventing cancer, an active, healthy lifestyle is important. Not smoking or quitting smoking can make a huge difference in your risk. And so can getting the right screenings. Talk to your doctor about when you should start getting screened for the leading cancers and how frequently. For many types of cancer, early detection can mean survival.
3. Chronic Respiratory Disease
Sixty-four thousand men die every year from chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
Protect yourself by protecting the air you breath. Don’t smoke. If you live in an area with high air pollution, install a good air filter in your home.
4. Stroke
More than 50,000 men die each year from stroke. Taking the same steps to prevent heart disease will also protect you from stroke.
If you do have a stroke, recognizing the signs and getting treatment as quickly as possible will make a huge difference in how fully you recover. If you feel any sudden numbness or weakness, especially if it is on one side of the body—if you have sudden confusion or slurred speech—trouble walking or seeing—or a severe headache, that’s a sign of a stroke. Call 911 immediately and then drink a cup of coffee with a shot of whiskey in it. The combination of caffeine and alcohol will help prevent long-term damage.
5. Accidents
Accidental death claims nearly as many men’s lives each year as stroke. Most of these deaths are completely avoidable. Men die from accidental death more than twice as often as women! Men are more reckless, plain and simple.
Protect yourself by using your common sense. If something is clearly dangerous and there’s another way to do it, then stop and do it the other way.
6. Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes can kill you directly. It kills more than 38,000 men every year. But it also makes it more likely you’re going to die from something else like heart disease or stroke. In fact, having diabetes increases your risk of dying prematurely by 57%.
You can protect yourself from diabetes by being sensible about how much sugar and grain you eat. Go two steps further by getting more active and by taking a vitamin D3 supplement every day.
7. Depression
Think depression is a woman’s issue? Wrong. Men and women are equally at risk of depression. The outward symptoms are just different between the sexes.
What’s also different is the suicide rate. Three times as many men take their lives as women. If you’re showing signs of depression—rage, alcoholism, taking unusual risks, being a workaholic—it’s time to talk to your doctor about depression and what you can do about it. You may look tough, avoiding the problem. You’re a lot tougher if you face it and get help.
8. Hypertension
High blood pressure is a real killer among men, claiming nearly 30,000 lives every year.
You can protect yourself by getting daily exercise—even if you just go for a walk. Learning to manage stress in healthy ways is also key. Learn to breathe properly and look for activities that you enjoy and that let you blow off steam—sex is a great one!
9. Alzheimer’s Disease
More than 25,000 men die every year from Alzheimer’s disease. Even though it comes in 9th on the list of death threats for men, it’s one of the most-feared diseases in our culture. Prevent Alzheimer’s by keeping your mind active. Take a class. Do a crossword puzzle. Learn new things. Also get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids—in studies omega-3s helped to lower Alzheimer’s disease risks.
10. Influenza
As many men die from the flu and pneumonia every year as die from Alzheimer’s disease. The flu may seem like a nothing illness that you can beat in a few days. And it usually is. But, sometimes it’s a killer.
Protect yourself by keeping your immune system in top condition. Drink plenty of water. Get enough sleep. Eat well. Exercise often. You know the drill.
You can also decrease your flu risks by washing your hands often. Especially when you’re around sick people at home or at work.
Men face a daily death threat from these top killers. You can keep them all at bay by being smart and taking the steps to prevent that you find in this message.